Here Are the Data on Goader's Training for Special-needs Childrfen

There was no orientation for summer school and I received no training in dealing with students who are severely or profoundly mentally handicapped. My area of expertise is in teaching students with learning disabilities. This is a totally different area of special education compared to teaching students with severely or profoundly mental handicaps.

It is analogous to specialties in the medical field. A brain surgeon is a physician as is a family physician, but you would not expect a family physician to be familiar with brain surgery. Brain surgery is a specialty field for physicians.

Likewise, teaching severely or profoundly mentally handicapped students is a specialty field for special education teachers. I had no, nor did anyone offer, training in teaching severely or profoundly mentally handicapped students.

Therefore, unbeknownst to me at the time, the department head and principal had no business placing me in a severely or profoundly mentally handicapped class.

See all comments on this post here:

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Information That Has To Do with Complaint Against Goader

When I did psychiatric nursing, we sometimes had to restrain violent patients. But these were adults. One violent patient threw me against a wall fifty years ago at Seton Institute, in Baltimore Maryland, and I still have pain in the shoulder that hit the wall.

What we did in the way of restraint was to put the patient in a camisole: it was a canvas device kind of like a short hospital gown. The arms were closed at the hands. The patient put his or her hands down into the closed sleeves (now that was a fun task to achieve if the patient was not feeling docile, which was not often), and we tied the ends of the sleeves behind the patient's back.

I know these devices are needed sometimes. Patients and even children can be real problems and dangers to those around them and themselves. But I think the caretakers need to watch out for sadism creeping in from the Dark Side of all of our psyches. Power over helpless, mentally ill people should be used with discretion and mercy. You should think what you would do if the disturbed adult or child were your child or grandchild.

It looks like to me from his desciption that Goader got no training in this area. The ones in charge just threw him into the environment that required awareness and training. The supervisors started the chain of events by not training a novice participant like Goader. lee

Parents: Special-needs students physically restrained too often
September 14 | Orlando Sentinel



By: Leslie Postal

Claire Lester's behavior was a challenge. She yelled and repeated phrases from movies. When upset, the 12-year-old girl with autism sometimes shoved papers off her desk or waved her arms and kicked her legs toward approaching teachers.

The staff at her Orange County public school responded to her behavior, her father said, by grabbing his 80-pound daughter, forcing her to the ground and then holding her there. This happened 44 times during the 2006-07 school year, according to school records the family shared with the Orlando Sentinel.

She was held once for an hour and, on average, 22 minutes at a time, the records show. At least one incident in her class for children with autism left her back badly bruised, her father, Steve Lester, said.

Lester of Winter Park is one of many parents who want Florida schools to curtail the practice of restraining students with disabilities.
The issue will be taken up at a statewide autism conference in Orlando that begins Monday and has sparked complaints about a proposed rule by the Florida Department of Education that some fear would give a green light to the wider use of the controversial techniques.

Some parents and advocates think the state's most vulnerable kids are restrained too often and argue the practice is a dangerous one that has led to injury and even death.

Orange County school officials would not comment about the Lester case, citing privacy rules. But they said they restrain students with complex behavioral problems only to stop aggression or injury.

Some of their students engage in dangerous and violent behavior hundreds of times a day, repeatedly slapping themselves in the face, for example, or trying to scratch, bite and kick their classmates and instructors.

Teachers trained in proper restraint techniques step in to stop that behavior only after other strategies have failed, they said. The techniques they use usually involve holding the student firmly.

"It's highly controversial all over the country, and we're very careful," said Jonathan McIntire, director of the autism department for Orange County schools. "We never use restraint unless we need to."

Both Claire Lester and her twin sister have autism, and their father realizes that restraint techniques must be used at times to prevent students from hurting themselves or others.

But he was shocked to learn Claire was restrained, in his opinion, for minor problems or when other techniques would have calmed, rather than escalated, her behavior.

"You step back a step. You don't engage her in a half nelson and put her on the ground," said Lester, an oncologist whose daughters, now 14, are in private school this year. "In this day and age? Didn't we quit treating the mentally disabled like that 60 or 70 years ago?"

DOE's proposed rule on "reasonable force" wasn't meant only for students with disabilities, said Pam Stewart, the department's deputy chancellor for educator quality.

It was supposed to formalize guidelines on what teachers should do to control any unruly student.

The complaints about rule 6A-6.05271, however, opened a public window into a simmering issue in special education: the practice of holding students, sometimes prone on the ground.

Alarmed parents and advocates for people with disabilities spoke against the rule at a hearing last month, fearing it would lead to more instances of students being restrained. As a result, the Education Department withdrew the proposed rule Sept. 5 and is working to revise it, Stewart said.

"We were horrified by it," said Bob Jacobs, education-team manager for the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities. "Where it sets the bar is whenever the teacher feels like it."

More kids with autism

Florida's public schools are required to teach students with a wide range of disabilities and have been grappling with how to handle students with severe behavioral and developmental problems.

The challenge has grown more difficult with the surge in the number of students with autism -- a nearly 60 percent hike since 2003.

Parents and advocates concede restraint is needed in such emergencies, but they think Florida kids are restrained too often simply because they're misbehaving or not following instructions.

The advocacy center, which wants the state to do more to curtail the practice, has a current list of about 25 incidents in which restraint techniques left children with bloody lips, bruised arms and damaged emotions.

The issue took center stage in the case of former Seminole County teacher Kathleen Garrett, charged with abusing several children with autism. Her attorney said she used approved restraint techniques. But she was convicted last year of pinning a 60-pound boy to his desk until his lips turned blue.

The Seminole County School Board has been sued by about a dozen parents upset with Garrett's treatment of their children and has already paid out more than $1.9 million.

Some states have curbed the practice in schools and psychiatric hospitals.

Last month, Pennsylvania banned prone restraints -- when someone is held facedown -- on children in its residential-treatment centers because of the risk of injury. The ban was pushed by a father whose son died after being restrained.

'Problem behavior'
Florida has no statewide rule about restraints in public schools.

But last year, the Education Department, acknowledging concern about the practice, urged districts to review what they were doing and find other ways to reduce "problem behavior."

That 2007 paper recommended that districts limit physical restraint to emergencies, provide more training and make sure parents are informed whenever their child is restrained.

Orange officials said they follow those guidelines and have been doing so for years.

But one expert who has studied the issue said restraint is overused. Classroom observations and teacher interviews show restraint is most often used because students are not doing their work or following directions or because they are damaging school property by kicking a desk or tearing a book, said Joe Ryan, an assistant professor of special education at Clemson University.

"A majority of times they [restraint techniques] are used, they are uncalled for," Ryan said.

Though he does not favor a ban on restraint, he thinks states and schools need to find ways to minimize problem behavior and calm situations to make restraint less necessary.

Restraining children is dangerous and often useless because it does little to change youngsters' behavior, he said. The repeated restraint of the same child should serve as a "red flag" to educators that what they are doing isn't working, he added.

Phyllis Musumeci, a Palm Beach County mother, helped organize some of the parents who spoke against the proposed rule at the hearing.

She is slated to speak about restraints Tuesday at the statewide autism conference, convinced they are used too often and to the detriment of students.

Her son, diagnosed with autism and other disorders, was restrained 89 times in his public middle school, she said.

"A lot of these children don't communicate well," she said. "Let's try to figure out what's going on and what they need," she added.

"I'm not saying the teachers and the aides have an easy job, because I know they don't. But what they're doing to children is not right."

Update on Goader

Linda, please tell me who the people are that make the decision to fire a teacher such as Goader. Is it preliminary committee that then makes recommendations to the board? Is the decision a regular board entry on the agenda in which citizens get to comment? Thank you. When and where is the hearing for his dismissal? ldd



Subject:
FW: Kemp put this on his blog, so now I know what it's about. ldd

From: lee de cesare [mailto:tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:56 AM
To: 'Linda Cobbe'
Subject: Kemp put this on his blog, so now I know what it's about. ldd



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Evanescent Commentary
I’m a Fool for Freedom of Speech-Felony Pt15
Posted on November 18, 2008 - Filed Under Blogroll

Goader on November 15th, 2008 2:05 pm said:

The jury is out on whether I should flatter myself that my blog and outspokenness have enough influence to motivate some in administration to fabricate reasons to banish me.

In the wings waiting on November 15th, 2008 2:35 pm

Don’t even try to fool yourself into thinking that you haven’t been in the cross-hairs of the administration ever since you have been shining a light on the inner workings of the district. Don’t let this happen. Fight until the very end!

Perhaps In the wings waiting is on to something. I have a hard time believing that my little blog has enough influence to cause someone to want to fire me from teaching. I can’t seem to convince myself that enough people really pay that much attention to what I say. If they do, I must say, I am flattered.

It is something that others take the time to read my ramblings and take them to heart. I have always been careful not to engage in obscenities, primarily, because I know some of my students might stumble upon these words. Sometimes expediency would benefit from a bit of profanity or a risqué reference; however, for the sake of students that might read these words I refrain from those devices.

Maybe I should suspend my naiveté and smell the coffee. I guess I should heed In the wings waiting’s warning and not delude myself into thinking some people don’t hate me because of what I write. I realize words can have influence. I know that others might take offense to some I have written. What I do not understand is why someone would hold a grudge because of something I wrote. Perhaps, I would better understand if someone wrote some negative things about me. (That is an open invitation to say whatever you like right here in the comments section.) If another blogger were to say some inflammatory things about me, maybe I wouldn’t be so dismissive about what I say.

This brings me to my Felony series. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why the district is threatening me with termination for what I did. Believe me when I say their response is a gross overreaction. I promised to reveal what happened, and, though I am staring down the barrel of termination, I will make good on that promise. I will be careful not to add any extraneous details and not color the prose with any sassiness. I will attempt to stay with the facts, just the facts. Here is what happened.

It was June and summer school had begun. I was to be a teacher’s aide in a learning disabilities class. My paycheck betrayed my position by being a bit lighter than that of a teacher’s. My assignment was to work with a varying exceptionalities teacher in a class of learning disabled students. Unfortunately, no one showed up for the class so it was cancelled. Just so I had a job I agreed to help in a class with autistic students. It was okay as there was quite a few aides plus the teacher.

Along about the second or third day the department head said she needed me to go help in another class down the hall. Upon arriving, I was not prepared for the degree of disabilities that these students had. There were three students, all were severely or profoundly mentally handicapped. They were unresponsive, uncommunicative, and inattentive to just about everything. The only activity possible was to interact with them and stimulate their senses. Academic instruction was of no use, so we mostly acted for the students, who rarely paid attention to us.

Two of the students were males and had grown to adult size, although their mental capacity was that of a toddler. The room we were in was a storage area for large tables, stacks of chairs, a large filing cabinet, and various other items. Everything was pushed against two walls. Both male students tried to pull down some of the stored items and were constantly trying to escape into the hall. We spent much of the day chasing them around the room.

One day the teacher and another aide took one of the students to the restroom leaving me with both male students. Not knowing how I was going to keep both in the room I used a restraint harness one of the students always wore to secure him to a desk. That way I could concentrate on the other student and the one remained safely in his seat.

Six days later the principal called me to her office and said I was under investigation for felony child abuse for securing the student to the desk. I was summarily suspended and sent home. It is now over four months later and the district has recommended that I be terminated.

I imagine it is rather anticlimactic, but those are the facts and that is what happened. As for why the district is attempting to terminate me I cannot say. I am left In the wings waiting with the ominous warning, “Don’t even try to fool yourself into thinking that you haven’t been in the cross-hairs of the administration ever since you have been shining a light on the inner workings of the district.”

Sphere: Related Content
Comments

10 Responses to “I’m a Fool for Freedom of Speech-Felony Pt15”

1. Motel Special Ed on November 18th, 2008 3:27 pm

Goader:

I wonder if the educational setting you were in had these provisions under state law:

IDEA - Building The Legacy of IDEA 2004: “(i) in the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior;”

Were you ever informed of the behavior plan that the IEP had developed for these recurring challenging behaviors?

Were you ever instructed in the results of the assessment or how to to implement the devised behavior plan?

2. Motel Special Ed on November 18th, 2008 3:31 pm

Regarding my previous post, that would be a Federal law resource, which has a heck of lot more authority than State law and local SP&P’s.

3. Goader on November 18th, 2008 3:57 pm

Ed—

I was given no information whatsoever.

4. Cable Guy on November 18th, 2008 5:02 pm

Goader,

How can you say that?

I remember posters (elequentmind? Suzie creamcheese? somebody.) telling you to watch out.

Hopefully you paid attention about your lawyer.

Now kick ass!

5. Thomas Vaughan on November 18th, 2008 6:30 pm

That was it? Why did the student have a harness on him if it wan not to be used? Doesnt the person who left you in an unfamiliar room, with students you were unprepared to work with somehow culpable?

Why you? What were you supposed to do given the prior behaviors you described?

Was the young man injured?

WHO complained?

Richard, you are more familiar with this, what is your take on it assuming Goader is describing this accurately?

Goader, no offense intended, ok?

6. Goader on November 18th, 2008 11:13 pm

Thomas—

You are very astute to have picked up on every single important point in my case.

You ask, “That was it?” Yes, that was it.

Why did the student have on the harness? I did not know it at the time but the student was not supposed to wear the harness while in class. He was supposed to wear it to secure him on the bus only. Of course, having no experience with students with such a severe level of disability, I knew nothing about the proper protocol for the harness.

You ask about the culpability of others who left me in an unfamiliar class. The culpability of others that left me in a class very unfamiliar to me is the crux of my defense.

Why me you ask. That leaves me only with the warning from In the wings waiting, “Don’t even try to fool yourself into thinking that you haven’t been in the cross-hairs of the administration ever since you have been shining a light on the inner workings of the district.”

What was I supposed to do given the circumstances? I don’t know as no one offered me any training to work with these students.

The young man was not injured in any way.

I cannot tell you who complained because of confidentiality laws regarding those who report suspected child abuse.

Richard has been instrumental in helping me understand what I did not know at the time.

7. Thomas Vaughan on November 19th, 2008 5:56 am

“I cannot tell you who complained because of confidentiality laws regarding those who report suspected child abuse.”

That may be but you have a right to due process. Do the state confidentiality laws trump your constitutional right to due process? I doubt it. I suspect you didn’t dispute the facts as you didn’t know you did anything wrong. The state didn’t prosecute you so they didn’t think you did anything wrong.

What the hell do they think they have on you? They failed to adequately train you for your assignment and thereby put YOU in jeopardy.

Perhaps you have an actionable cause against THEM!

Something doesn’t add up here.

If they ARE reading your blog, maybe I am next.

8. lee drury de cesare on November 19th, 2008 8:05 am

Goader, I went to the board meeting yesterday only to discover when I got there from the baach that the board meeting had been delayed until five. I came home because I have to attend to my husband, who’s not well, so couldn’t wait the two hours until the board began. I had a notion that your case might be on the agenda.

I went to help you fight these thugs. Giving in to them just encourages them to up the ante. Your case is why I advise teachers to forego the union’s in-bed performance and bank the fees to hire a lawyer.

I have written to Valdes and Griffin to attend your meeting with Kipley. They are not good about fighting for teachers, but they are the best we have.

Let me come. I will then do everything I can to use the information to advertise the administration’s reputation for mistreating teachers and running a Professional Standards snitch racket to build false cases against their teacher targets to fire outspoken teachers.

Don’t ever give in to the thugs. It will make it even harder for the next teacher. Fight in every way you can. lee

9. Goader on November 19th, 2008 12:17 pm

Thomas—

Fate shone its face upon me and allowed me to know who called the abuse hotline. As it turned out when I secured my copy of the police report, the censor neglected to redact that information. It was clearly an oversight by the sheriff’s department as that information is supposed to be confidential to you and me.

Therefore, even though I know who the reporter was I did not want to perpetuate the oversight by revealing that person here. When I wrote about confidentiality, I meant that it prevented me from saying here who it was. I am sure you understand that I want to play by the rules of civil procedure.

“What the hell do they think they have on you? They failed to adequately train you for your assignment and thereby put YOU in jeopardy.”

I do not know what they think they have on me since I have not seen their report yet. Not offering me training and putting me in jeopardy is the crux of my defense.

“Perhaps you have an actionable cause against THEM!”

Perhaps I do.

“Something doesn’t add up here.”

I too am scratching my head because something doesn’t add up.

“If they ARE reading your blog, maybe I am next”

I hope not. The stress of your livelihood being on the line is gut wrenching and causes one much emotional distress.

10. Goader on November 19th, 2008 12:48 pm

lee drury de cesare—

You certainly champion the underdog. Thank you for going out of your way for my case.

This board meeting was a bit too soon to have my case, perhaps the next one will.

So far, I have no complaints with CTA’s representation of my case. They have provided me with everything I have needed. My representatives have been high caliber and well prepared. As for the representation CTA has provided, so far it deserves two thumbs up from me.

You are welcome to come with me anywhere you like. I intend for my case to be completely transparent and for all to witness.

I use my right to free speech here to give my opinions. Sometimes those opinions are critical of others in the public realm. Critical thinking skills are highly regarded within academic circles. The district gives plenty of lip service to the public that it provides its students with critical thinking skills. It is through its teachers that they can accomplish this. I am happy to be one of the teachers who practices what he preaches.

I will not give up. I realize that I can help lay the foundation on which others will traverse. I want that foundation to be one of freedom, not fear.

Thank you for your tireless efforts to stand up for others and me. The Greater Tampa Bay area is a much better place because you are part of it.

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OK, Race Down to the Police Station in Ybor and Get the Snitch's Name: It Should Be on the Report

Bart, when you get out of school today, go to the Ybor Police Department and get us a copy of this police report. It has the snitch’s name on it. The minute you get the report, scan it and send it to me. It gets star billing on Casting-room Couch. The other school employees need to know the snitich’s identity. lee

From: msksteel@hotmail.com [mailto:msksteel@hotmail.com] On Behalf Of goader@es-kay.net
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:10 AM
To: Lee De Cesare
Subject: RE: data

There was no arrest but the police incident report number is 08-400025 at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Ybor City.

I will not hold my breath but everyone (including reporters) is invited to attend the hearing whenever it occurs.

Goader a.k.a. Steve

________________________________________

From: tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com
To: goader@es-kay.net
Subject: RE: data
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:35:27 -0500

Goader, I am working on a reporter’s doing a story on your case. Don’t count on it. They are all scared to death about losing their jobs now in the print-press demise. Hang on to your blog. The future of news is there. Give me the arrest number, please. Arrests are public information. lee

From: msksteel@hotmail.com [mailto:msksteel@hotmail.com] On Behalf Of goader@es-kay.net
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 12:56 PM
To: Lee De Cesare
Subject: RE: data


My name is Mark Stephen Kemp. The district has it various ways: M.S. Kemp, Mark Kemp, Steve Kemp. My employee number is 118962.

Have at it!

Yours Truly
Steve Kemp
________________________________________

From: tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com
To: goader@es-kay.net
Subject: data
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:34:05 -0500
Goader: the Public Affairs office will give me what Kipley has on your file if you will give me your real name. I have forgot it.

I have also asked Kipley for all phone calls regarding your case to and from all parties. Your lawyer can get that too.

Don’t despair. You can and must win. lee

________________________________________

Colloquy with Le Goader

Goader, don’t overestimate these people. They are grubby little worms who lust for power and are too insecure to tolerate even a whiff of protest if they can snuff out the protester.

And for God’s sake, don’t be lofty. Be engaged, be active in your own defense. Squawkers triumph because they have their words out there for the multitude. And don’t ever write me a smidge of anything that I can’t pass around. I am not capable of keeping secrets.

I am going to send somebody down to the police station to get a copy of your arrest. That’s a public record. Then I will publish the squealer’s name. I don’t have to obey your attorney. I think he is wrong in keeping you from letting others of the school family know who their enemy is and who is on the snitch payroll of La Elia and her thugs.

The only thing the ROSSAC thuggery could do to me was to have Pole Girl Falliero and the Jolly Green Giant head of security kick me out of the board room for violating Falliero’s ad hoc rule that a citizen could not utter a person’s name. I got the ACLU to come and give the board and Gonzalez a lecture on the First Amendment.

Then Gonzalez tried to scare me by hinting he was going to file an extortion law suit against me for my saying to the board that if it did not follow the equal opportunity laws that I would summon the federal-grant people to do a compliance review of the schools. I still haven’t had time to do that, but it’s on my agenda.

I reminded Gonzalez that a state law prevented him from filing a suit against a citizen for criticizing elected officials; I then proceeded to file an ethics charge against the board bush-league Machiavellian ethically obtuse rascal with the state bar association. That rattled him considerably, and he spent many billable hours responding to the ethics charge and the follow up. Keep villains busy is my motto. lee

From: msksteel@hotmail.com [mailto:msksteel@hotmail.com] On Behalf Of goader@es-kay.net
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:26 AM
To: Lee De Cesare
Subject: RE:

Lee,

I will continue to write as I come to terms with the notion that my words might have ruffled the feathers of the termination bird. I continue to feel a bit of incredulity regarding just how much influence my words have had. I cannot seem to convince myself that what I have written actually might have instigated termination proceedings. I do remain open to the idea, however.

My blog is available for all to read, so I feel no need to email my posts. They know how to access my blog anytime they desire.

As you may have noticed, I have written fifteen parts of this episode so far. Therefore, a series of "In the Life" as such already exists.

Goader

---

From: tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com
To: goader@es-kay.net
Subject:
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:04:12 -0500

Goader, you can help your cause and stay sane by doing a Day in the Life of a Teacher Who Violated the No-Criticism-of-the-Administration-or-We- Will-Get-You Rules to Keep Teachers in a State of Servile Terror.

Nobody ever invented a more powerful weapon than words. Use this weapon. It terrifies the administration and board. And send this Day in the Life around to all board members, Elia, and all administrators. They are on the Web. Send it to CTA. Send it to SP CTA. Send it to all members of the Superintendent’s Forum (it’s on the Web). Send it everywhere.

You have words. Use them. Fire at will.

lee

---

Get more done, have more fun, and stay more connected with Windows Mobile®. See how.

To Date on the Goader Caper

Minions of the Light: I have asked Goader for the number of his arrest file. The person who ratted him out is on that file. The police left that datum on the file it gave to Goader by mistake. So Goader knows who the squealer is.

Ms. Cobbe: That I would appreciate. This confidentiality rule until the files are closed makes possible withholding all the information until the investigators are ready to release it. So it’s cover-up until the ones filing the charges and their investigators are good and ready to release them.

See what is in the sunshine and send me that, please.

Give me an estimate of how much it would cost to copy all the Erwin files. I see a book there. ldd


From: Linda Cobbe [mailto:lcobbe@sdhc.us]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:30 AM
To: lee de cesare
Subject: Re: Public Information request

I need to let you know that investigative files are confidential until 10 days after the investigation is closed. I should have mentioned that to you yesterday. I will check on the status and try to give you an idea of when records will be available.

Linda E. Cobbe
External Communications Manager
Hillsborough County Public Schools
901 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33602
813-272-4602 (O)
813-493-6964 (C)
813-272-4510 (F)

Our mission is to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.


"lee de cesare" writes:

Thank you, Jesus. Now I would like to know what Ms. Kipley has in her file on him. ldd




From: Linda Cobbe [mailto:lcobbe@sdhc.us]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:15 AM
To: lee de cesare
Subject: Re: Public Information request





Lee, there was nothing related to Mr. Kemp on any agenda item at the board meeting.


Linda E. Cobbe

External Communications Manager

Hillsborough County Public Schools

901 E. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33602

813-272-4602 (O)

813-493-6964 (C)

813-272-4510 (F)


Our mission is to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.




"lee de cesare" writes:

Ms. Elia, Mr. Gonzalez, Board Members, Board Attorney, and administrative staff: I want to supply the lack of administration-board open government in the attempt to fire Mr. Steven Kemp, so I ask for the data cited in comments following.

The board and administration put everything on the consent calendar—including Mr. Kemp’s prospective firing for what may well be a trumped-up charge, and the data whiz by on the consent-calender conveyor belt unexamined, a situation that does not let citizens know what is going on in the schools.

Ms. Elia and Ms. Falliero have both expressed strong opinions about the schools’ not getting the positive publicity the two desire. I am suspicious that Mr. Kemp’s having a blog has a good deal to this charge’s being laid to him because he analyzes the superintendent’s and board’s conduct on the blog and not always in a laudatory manner.

I request as public information that all people with names on this email’s send slots above make available to Ms. Linda Cobbe of the Public Affairs Office any emails that mention the Kemp case. She can then send them to me. I will put them on my blog leedrurydecesarescasting-room couch.blogspot to lend a modicum of public transparency to the Professional Standards office’s procedure in prosecuting charges against teachers.

Everybody knows that Hillsborough County teachers fear the Professional Standards office’s real purpose, which is to keep files on teachers so as to make them fearful of making complaints about the negative way they are treated by the superintendent, administration, and board. These complaints would dilute the power of the board and the administration to run roughshod over teachers, especially the behavior of the superintendent.

Mr. Gonzalez promised me three times that he would author a pamphlet for people entering the Professional Standards’ gauntlet but weaseled out of the multiple pledges, saying he worked for the board, not Ms. De Cesare. Indeed he does not work for me. I would fire him pronto because he is not a gentleman and not an ornament to the legal profession. I have asked the board to fire him several times since he got his job on a no-bid contract and that the board give the other area lawyers a chance to replace him.

The way I got involved in the board and superintendent’s behavior toward teachers was Ms. Elia’s and Ms. Kipley’s clumsy attempt to mount a false case against my friend media specialist Bart Birdsall. Since then, when I see another teacher summoned to Professional Standards, I utter a qui vive and home in on the process.


Please send any emails regarding this Kemp case to Ms. Cobbe so that she can pass them on to me in the Sunshine Law’s public’s-right-to-know dispensation.





Lee Drury De Cesare


15316 Gulf Boulevard 802


Madeira Beach, FL 33708


727 398 4142


Tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com


Leedrurydecesarescasting-roomcouch.blogspot

Always Lob the Ball into the Other Court

We must never forget that we live in a democracy and have free-speech rights.

doretha.edgecomb@sdhc.k12.fl.us; candy.olson@sdhc.k12.fl.us; jennifer.falliero@sdhc.k12.fl; jack.lamb@sdhc.k12.fl.us; carol.kurdell@sdhc.k12.fl.us; april.griffin@sdhc.k12.fl.us; susan.valdes@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Dan.Valdez@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Lewis.Brinson@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Gretchen.Saunders@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Wynne.Tye@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Cathy.Valdes@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Connie/Milito@sdhc.k12.fl.us; David.Steele@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Gwen.Luney@sdhc.k12.fl.us; maryellon.elia@sdhc.k12.fl; Stephen.Hegarty@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Linda Cobbe; motolino@aol.com;marilynbrown@tampatrib.com; letitiastein@sptimes.com; Angie Manteiga (amanteiga@lagacetanewspaper.com); patrickmanteiga@lagacetanewspaper.com

Public Information Request

Ms. Elia, Mr. Gonzalez, Board Members, Board Attorney, and administrative staff: I want to supply the lack of administration-board open government in the attempt to fire Mr. Steven Kemp, so I ask for the data cited in comments following.

The board and administration put everything on the consent calendar—including Mr. Kemp’s prospective firing for what may well be a trumped-up charge, and the data whiz by unexamined, a situation that does not let citizens know what is going on in the schools.

Ms. Elia and Ms. Falliero have both expressed strong opinions about the schools’ not getting the positive publicity the two desire. I am suspicious that Mr. Kemp’s having a blog has a good deal to this charge’s being laid to him because he analyzes the superintendent’s and board’s conduct on the blog and not always in a laudatory manner.

I request as public information that all people with names on this email’s send slots above make available to Ms. Linda Cobbe of the Public Affairs Office any emails that mention the Kemp case. She can then send them to me. I will put them on my blog leedrurydecesarescasting-room couch.blogspot to lend a modicum of public transparency to the Professional Standards office’s procedure in prosecuting charges against teachers.

Everybody knows that Hillsborough County teachers fear the Professional Standards office’s real purpose, which is to keep files on teachers so as to make them fearful of making complaints about the negative way they are treated by the superintendent, administration, and board. These complaints would dilute the power of the board and the administration to run roughshod over teachers, expecially the behavior of the superintendent.

Mr. Gonzalez promised me three times that he would author a pamphlet for people entering the Professional Standards’ gauntlet but weezeled out of the multiple pledges, saying he worked for the board, not Ms. De Cesare. Indeed he does not work for me. I would fire him pronto because he is not a gentleman and not an ornament to the legal profession. I have asked the board to fire him several times since he got his job on a no-bid contract and that the board give the other area lawyers a chance to replace him.

The way I got involved in the board and superintendent’s behavior toward teachers was Ms. Elia’s and Ms. Kipley’s clumsy attempt to mount a false case against my friend media specialist Bart Birdsall. Since then, when I see another teacher summoned to Professional Standards, I utter a qui vive and home in on the process.

Please send any emails regarding this Kemp case to Ms. Cobbe so that she can pass them on to me in the Sunshine Law’s public’s-right-to-know dispensation.

Lee Drury De Cesare
15316 Gulf Boulevard 802
Madeira Beach, FL 33708
727 398 4142
Tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com
Leedrurydecesarescasting-roomcouch.blogspot

The Latest on the Rossac Attempted Crucifixion of Goader

From: ES-KAY [goader@es-kay.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 12:18 PM
To: tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com
Subject: [EsKay] New Comment On: I'm a Fool for Freedom of Speech-Felony Pt15

There is a new comment on the post "I'm a Fool for Freedom of Speech-Felony
Pt15".
http://es-kay.net/?p=791

Author: Goader
Comment:
Thomas—

Fate shone its face upon me and allowed me to know who called the abuse hotline.

As it turned out when I secured my copy of the police report, the
censor neglected to redact that information. It was clearly an oversight by the sheriff's department as that information is supposed to be confidential to you and me.

Therefore, even though I know who the reporter was I did not want to
perpetuate the oversight by revealing that person here. When I wrote about confidentiality, I meant that it prevented me from saying here who it was.

I am sure you understand that I want to play by the rules of civil procedure.

"What the hell do they think they have on you? They failed to adequately train you for your assignment and thereby put YOU in jeopardy."
I do not know what they think they have on me since I have not seen their report yet. Not offering me training and putting me in jeopardy is the crux of my defense.

"Perhaps you have an actionable cause against THEM!"

Perhaps I do.

"Something doesn’t add up here."

I too am scratching my head because something doesn't add up.

"If they ARE reading your blog, maybe I am next"

I hope not. The stress of your livelihood being on the line is gut wrenching and causes one much emotional distress.

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http://es-kay.net/?p=791#comments

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1

Another Teacher Crucifixion

Goader, I went to the board meeting yesterday only to discover when I got there from the beach that the board meeting had been delayed until five. I came home because I have to attend to my husband, who’s not well, so couldn’t wait the two hours until the board began. I had a notion that your case might be on the agenda.

I went to help you fight these thugs. Giving in to them just encourages them to up the ante. Your case is why I advise teachers to forgo the union’s in-bed performance and bank the fees to hire a lawyer.

I have written to Valdes and Griffin to attend your meeting with Kipley. They are not good about fighting for teachers, but they are the best we have.

Let me come. I will then do everything I can to use the information to advertise the administration’s reputation for mistreating teachers and running a Professional Standards snitch racket to build false cases against their teacher targets to fire outspoken teachers.

Don’t ever give in to the thugs. It will make it even harder for the next teacher. Fight in every way you can. lee

Ms. Kipley: I understand that a teacher with the soubriquet of “Goader” has a charge against him aimed at depriving him of employment.

There are no exceptions in the Sunshine law that shields such charges. I would like a copy of the charge against “Goader” and the dates of the meetings that will accompany this charge and where it is to be held.

I would also like to have copies of emails you have received and written on this subject. Those too are public information.

Please send these data to Linda Cobbe so that she can transfer them to me.

Lee Drury De Cesare